1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for press-contacting an electric wire for pushing an electric wire into a slot part of a press-contacting terminal to pressure-contact.
2. Description of the Related Art
A pressure contact joint connector connecting apparatus is known as described in JP-A-2002-93544. In JP-A-2002-93544, The apparatus includes a pressure contact terminal for causing a plurality of electric wires to short circuit, a housing part for receiving the pressure contact terminal, and a pressure contact joint connector having a cover engaged with the housing. The apparatus is used for connecting the pressure contact joint connector to a wire harness on the wire harness plate. A pressure receiving table for receiving a housing portion of the pressure contact joint connector, an electric wire press-fitting part for press-fitting the electric wire attached to the housing part on the pressure receiving table to the pressure contact terminal attached to the housing part, a cover holder part for holding the cover part of the pressure contact joint connector in order to engage the cover part to the housing part after press-fitting are provided with a press unit for subjecting each connection element component to a press operation.
According to the apparatus of JP-A-2002-93544, an identical press unit in which an electric wire as a connection element component and a holding part of the cover member are provided can be used to perform the pressure contact operation of the electric wire and the fitting operation of the cover part in a continuous manner. However, in order to appropriately press-contact the electric wire into the slot part of the press-contacting terminal of the housing part without causing the electric wire to have displacement, it is required to hold the electric wire in the housing part while applying a predetermined tension to the electric wire and precisely positioning the electric wire. Moreover, in order to fit into the cover member with the housing part after the pressure-contact of the electric wire, the tension applied to the electric wire must be reduced in order to prevent a situation where the cover member is pushed to the above-mentioned electric wire to cause an excessive load. Thus, it has been difficult to satisfy such contrary requirements at the same time.
As described in JP-A-2002-93544, when a group of sandwiching pieces for temporarily holding the positioned electric wire is provided in the housing part so that the electric wire is temporarily held by the group of sandwiching pieces, the electric wire can pressure contact with the press-contacting terminal while the electric wire is being positioned in the housing part. Moreover, the electric wire restricted to the exterior part of the housing part can be released to prevent the electric wire from having an excessive load when the cover member is fitted. However, the requires the group of sandwiching pieces in which a large number of sandwiching pieces for temporarily holding the electric wire must be provided adjacent to the press-contacting terminal in the housing part. So, there is a problem that the housing part has a complicated structure and a larger size.
When the group of sandwiching pieces cannot be provided in the housing part, a holding part for holding the electric wire W while the electric wire is being positioned at the exterior part of the housing part must be provided. In the case, even when the electric wire can be pressure contacted into the slot part of the press-contacting terminal, the cover member is pushed to the electric wire held by the holding part to inevitably cause an excessive load when the cover member is fitted into the housing part.